Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

 Lectionary: 232

The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said,
"Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.
It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word."

If we don't immediately recognize ourselves in the words of scripture, we often encounter our enemies. Jeremiah describes the plotting of his fellow citizens against the hapless prophet. They have him and his God all figured out. They can ignore his warnings, catch him in some apparent contradiction of his words, and discredit him by his own tongue. Then they'll have license to treat him as they would any other alien, stranger, or criminal. 

In the meanwhile, their version of God -- an imaginary god which has neither authority nor existence -- will forgive their intentional deceptions and deliberate lies. He might be angry for three days but, like most people, he'll get over it. 

The ruse fools no one, of course, but the majority want it that way, and so they shall have it. 

Scoundrels, villains, are they who deal in crooked talk.

Shifty of eye, feet ever moving, pointing with fingers,

They have perversity in their hearts,

always plotting evil, sowing discord. Proverbs 6:12-15

The Lord's gaze upon the innocent will be blessings, but he winks at no one. 

Terribly and swiftly shall he come against you, because judgment is stern for the exalted. Proverb 3:34

The day comes when we hear, "You have heard it said..., but I say to you." And we worship him.